The transition to a green economy is expected to create many new jobs around the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa. But will economic transformation give women access to better paid and more stable jobs? According to a new report released by UN Women and the African Development Bank, the short answer is ‘yes’, but only if countries adopt strong and supportive policies and programs.

The report, titled Green Jobs for Women in Africa, emphasizes that women are well placed to benefit from the primary-level jobs that will be created, but no better-paying jobs in the renewable energy, infrastructure or transport sectors. . This despite the essential role African women play in the economy and in managing climate change in their communities.

Oulimata Sarr, UN Women Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said: “Some of the obstacles women face in accessing green jobs in energy, infrastructure or the circular economy are rooted in social norms and changing them takes time. moment of acceleration. We must act now to ensure that the transition to a green economy in the region does not leave women and girls behind. “

Some of the constraints women face include gender segregation in education and employment, lack of access to formal sector work, endemic funding gaps, as well as social norms that leave women behind. do most of the unpaid care work.

Vanessa Ushie, Acting Director of the African Center for Natural Resources at the African Development Bank, said: “Women play a critical role in managing Africa’s natural capital and building climate resilience in our local communities. . Carbon credits provide an opportunity to reward women for the critical role they play in protecting our mangroves, forests and other ecosystems essential for carbon sequestration and environmental sustainability across Africa.

The report’s recommendations include the provision of skills combined with other more ambitious interventions such as unpaid care services, the removal of gender biases from national legislation or the exploitation of the opportunities offered by new green economic instruments such as carbon credits to place greater economic value on women’s unpaid work. do to mitigate climate change.

The report can be accessed here:

https://africa.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2021/11/un-wowen-green-jobs-policy-briefs-and-reports-en-fr

https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/policy-brief-green-jobs-women-africa-opportunities-and-policy-interventions

https://www.afdb.org/en/documents/green-jobs-women-africa

Contact:

UN Women: Hawa Diop, email: [email protected]

African Development Bank: Gershwin Wanneburg, email: [email protected]